Combination refrigerating and heating equipment



Sept. 30, 1930. G. E. HULSE COMBINATION REFRIGERATING AND HEATING EQUIPMENT Filed Feb. 17, 1928 3144x211 l'ot iJMQMMfiM enema Sept. 30, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GEORGE E. HULSE, OI NEW-HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOB TO THE SILICA GEL CORPORATION, OF BALTIMQBE, MARYLAND, A CORPORATION OF MARYLAND COMBINA'IIQN REFBIGEBATIN G AND HEATING EQUIPMENT Application filed February 17, 1928. Serial No. 255,161.

This invention relates to a combined refrigerating and heating system adapted to mamtain a substantially constant temperature within a storage compartment irrespective of the .outside or atmospheric temperature. The invention is particularly intended for use and illustrated in connectlon with a railroad car adapted for the transportation of fruits, vegetables, meats, and other perishables which must be kept at a temperature near freezing, but must not be allowed to freeze. Such cars are subject to wide variations in atmospheric temperature in traveling from north to south, and means must be provided to maintain a low temperature within the compartment when the outside temperature is high, and means must be provided to heat the compartment when the outside temperature is low.

It is a general object of the present invention to provide a novel and improved combination refrigerating and heating system.

More particularly, it is an object of the invention to combine an adsorption type refrigerating system with a heating system in such a manner that one or the other is adaptto be placed in operation by means responsive to the temperature within the storage compartment and in which the one to be placed in operation is determined by means responsive to the atmospheric temperature.

The following features of novelty are of primary importance in connection with the invention:

1. The provision of a single source of supply for the compartment heater and the refrigeration adsorber heaters, together with means for associating the source of supply with either heater, depending on outside atmospheric temperature.

2. The provision of a single temperatureresponsive mean'swithin the storage compartment adapted to control the operation of Whichever heater may be associated with the source of supply to properly regulate th temperature within the compartment.

Other and further features of novelty will be more apparent to those skilled in the art after a consideration of the accompanying drawing and following specification, wherein ment of a railway car, the temperature ofwhich is desired to be maintained substantially uniform irrespective of the outside temperature. For the sake of illustrating the invention, 1t may be assumed that it is desired to maintain a temperature between approximately 32 and 38 F. within the compartment although the car may be in atmospheric temperatures varying from considerably below zero to more than 100 above zero.

In order to cool the compartment, resort may be had to a suitable refrigerating system, preferably of the adsorption type, since no sultable power is available on the car for the operation of a compressor. By way of illustration, the system comprises a suitable cooling unit or evaporator 11 within the compartment in which a liquid refrigerant is adapted to be evaporated by the heat of the compartment. The vapors from this liquid are adapted to be adsorbed in one or more adsorber units, such as 12 and 13. When the material in an-adsorber unit is saturated with the vapor, such unit must be heated to activate the same and drive off the vapor to prepare the unit for further adsorption. A gas burner 14 is therefore provided for the adsorber 12 and a gas burner 15 for the adsorber 13, although any other suitable form of heat may be applied. One or more adsorbers may be used, but two adsorber units have been shown in order that more continuous operation may be effected when there is a great difference in temperature between the interior and the exterior of the compartment 10. Thus, continuous adsorption may take place,

one unit being activated while the other adsorbs. The vapor driven off by the activation asses into the condenger 16 where it is liqueed and returned by means of the pipe 17 to the evaporator. A suitable check valve and piping assembly 18 provides connections between the evaporator, adsorbers, and condenser to automatically connect the proper units together as required. To supply heat to the interior of the-compartment when the temperature outside is less than 32, a as burner or other suitable form of heater 19 1s provided either within the compartment of adjacent the compartment, and\ in order to properly distribute the heat throughout the compartment, it is preferred to use heating units, such as 20, to circulate water or other medium. These unitsare connected to a suitable boiler or heater system 21 arranged to be heated by the burner 19.

Where gas burners are used for the adsorbers and the heater, they may be supplied with fuel from a suitable tank 9 carried beneath the car and provided with a compressed or liquefied gas, such as propane, which is supplied through the pipe 22 to the pr e ssure regulator 23 and thence through the hand-operated valve 24 and safety valve v25 to the central compartment 26 of the two-way valve 27. The lower compartment 28 of this valve communicates by wa of the pipe 29 and the heater Valve 30 with the burner 19, whi le the upper compartment 31 of the two-way valve communicates by way of the pipe 32 and the burner valves 33 and 33 with the adsorber burners 14 and 15. The movable valve member 34 is adapted to isolate either the compartment 28 or the compartment 31 from the compartment 26 which is supplied with gas from the tank 9. When the valve is in the position shown, gas can be supplied only to the adsorber burners, and when it is in the reverse position, gas can be supplied only to the heater burner. This valve may be controlled through its stem 35 and the lever 36, pivoted near its center, by means of a heatresponsive element 37 exposed to the outside or atmospheric temperature. It will be understood that the heat-responsive element will contract when the outside temperature is low and raise the valve 34 to allow gas to flow to the heater burner, whereas when the temperature of the atmosphere is high, the osition of the valve will be reversed. Pref rably, the valve and its operatin mechanism are provided with a suitable orm of snap action, not shown, so that it will close to the lower position shown in the drawing when the outside temperature rises above say 38 F. and will snap to the upper position when the outside temperature falls below say 32 F.

The valve and the control just described places either the adsorber burners or the heater burner in association with the source of fuel supply, but it would not be satisfactory to allow this valve alone to control the operation of the several heaters for the temperature within the compartment 10 would not then be properly regulated.

To control the operation of the refrigerating system so-asto maintain the temperature within the compartment 10 substantially constant during the operation of the refrigerating device, a control mechanism is provided for the two burners 14, 15. This mechanism comprises means which causes the burners 14, 15 to be operated successively, each for that definite period of time required to effectively activate its adsorber, and then to cause both burners to remain idle until the temperature within the compartment 10 rises and requires further refrigeration. The pipe 32 leading from the two-way valve 27 is branched and leads to each of the burner valves 33, 33, which are adapted to control the flow of gas to the burners 14, 15. These valves are identical, and the means for actuating them are identical, and hence but one will be described ere.

Referrin to valve 33, it will be seen that gas is supp ied to the lower compartment of the casing, and its flow to the upper compartment, which leads directly to the burner, is controlled by a normally closed poppet valve 38 connected to a dia hragm 39. A compartment above the diap ragm is adapted to be supplied with gas from the pipe 40 when it is desired to have the burner 14 operate so that the diaphragm is flexed and the valve 0 ened. In order that the valve may close un er the action of the diaphragm when gas no longer is supplied to the pipe 40, a bleeder 41 is provided in the compartment above the diaphragm and allows a slow seepage of gas from that compartment. The pipe 40 receives gas by way of the pipe 42, leading from the compartment 31 in the two-way valve, under control of the valve 43. The valve 43 is normally closed, but is adapted to be opened by the cam 44 upon the disk 45 driven by the motor 46 at a. substantially constant rate of speed. The angular extent of the cam 44 is such, under these conditions, as to allow the burner 14 to operate for the period necessary to activate the adsorber 12. The motor may be of any desired type but is here shown to be driven by the ex ansion of'the gaseous fuel which it receives rom the pipe 42 by way of the ipe 47 and the pipe 48. Gas is exhausted rom the pipe 49 after being used by the motor. To provide a minimum interval of time between the operation of the burners 14 and 15, and 15 and 14, the speed of the motor as before mentioned, is substantially constant, and the valve 43 controlling the operation of the valve to the burner 15 is spaced 180 from the valve 43, or, if more than two adsorbers are used, the valves controlling them are spaced equally distant about the disk and the Jag-med of the motor regulated accordingly. t times, this minimum interval may be too short when but little refrigeration is uired, and it is adapted to be extended by the 0110 in mechan sm.

e valve is inter sad in the pi e 47 supplying gas to drive t e motor 46, an this va ve is normally held open by riding on the concentric rim 51 of the cam 52, but just before the cam 44 en ages either the valve 43 or the valve 43" t e valve 50 is closed by means of one of the depressions 53 in the peripheryof the cam 52. This cuts off the supply of gas for driving the motor, and the motor stops and remains stopped until gas is again supplied to drive the same. This gas may be supplied from a by-pass around the pipe 47 and the valve 50, which b -pass ineludes the pipe 54 always supplie with gas from the central compartment 26 of the twoway valve, the valve 55 the pipe 56 and the pipe 48 which leads to the motor. The valve 55 is held closed when the li uid in the temperature-responsive means 5 is contracted by a low temperature in the compartment 10, and thus, when the motor stops and the temperature in the compartment 10 is sufliclently low, it remains stopped until the temperature in the compartment rises sufliciently to expand the liquid in the responsive means 57 and actuate the valve 55 through the pipe 58. This allows gas to flow to operate the motor, which after a short movement, turns on its own supply of gas by means of the valve 50, and the concentric part of the cam mm 51 insures it another 180 of'movement before it is again stopped. Immediately upon starting of the motor, one of the valves 43 or 43 1S opened, allowing activation of one adsorber to take place, which requires but a relatively short time, and then at least one adsorber W111 shortly be ready to adsorb and cool the compartment.

The control mechanism for the burners of the refrigeration apparatus is more completely described and claimed in my copending application, Serial No. 270,488, filed April 1c, 1928.

The heating of the compartment 10, when this is required, is controlled by the same temperature-responsive means 57 as controls the starting of the motor 46. The valve 30 in the pipe line 29 leading to the heater burner 19 is normally open as shown, so that when gas is supplied by the two-way valve, when it moves upward, the burner is lmmediately set in operation, but when the temperature in the compartment becomes too high, the expansion of the fluid in the temperature-responsive means 57 causes the valve 55 to open, as explained in connectlon with the refrigerating cycle, and this allows gas to flow through the pipe 56 and the p1 60 into the compartment 61 above the diaphragm 62 in the valve 30, and the pressure of this gas on top of the diaphragm closes I phragm 62 to resume its normal position,

and gas again flows to the heater burner 19.

The heater burner is adapted to be ignited from a flame issuing from the pilot burner 64 supplied with as from the pipe 54 by way of the pipe 65. 'l his pilot burns at all times. It will be understood that the heater burner may be lighted from the pilot flame for the refrigeration burners by means of a suitable jumper if necessary.

The adsorber burners 14 and 15 are adapted to be ignited from a main pilot burner 66 by means of jumpers 67 supplied with gas through pipes 68 on the burner sides of the valves 33 and 33'. In case this pilot flame should become extinguished, it is desirable to cut OK the gas supply to the whole system, and this is accomplished by means of the safety valve 25 which is normally maintained in an open or operating position by the expansion of a flllld in the thermo-responsive element 69 arranged in operative relation to the flame from the pilot burner 66. The expansion of this fluid operates through the pipe 70 and the bellows 71 to maintain the valve 25 open, but upon accidental or intentional extinguishing of the pilot flame, the cooling of element 69 allows the contraction of the bellows 71 and the closing of the safety valve to shut off the supply of gas to all of the apparatus. An identical arrangement can be rovided in connection with the pilot burner or the heating burner, if so desired, but as shown, the heat-responsive element 72 is connected by pipe 73 to pipe 7 0 so that it can act on the bellows 71. The cooling of either element 69 or 72 will cause a contraction of the fluid in the system and will close the safety valve. This safety feature is claimed in my copending application, Serial No. 270,488 filed April 16, 1928..

The operation of the device will be readily understood from the above description. It will be seen that when the outside temperature falls to 32, for instance, the thermostat 37 throws the change-over or two-way valve to stop refrigeration and supply gas to the heater burner. When the outside temperature rises to 38 F. for instance, the thermostat 37 throws the change-over valve to stop the flow of gas to the heating burner to supply the same to the refrigerating burners. The temperature within the compartment 10, whether the same is being heated or being cooled, is controlled by the thermo-responsive element 57.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In a combined refrigerating and heating system adapted tomaintain a substantially constant temperature in a storage compartment, in combination, adsorption refrigeration apparatus including an evaporator to cool said compartment and an adsorber, a

burner to heat said compartment, a burner associated with said adsorber, a source of fuel for said burners and means dependent upon atmospheric temperature to connect said fuel source to one or the other of said burners.

In a combined refrigerating and heating system adapted to maintain a substantially constant temperature in a storage compartment, in combination, adsorption'refrigeration apparatus including an evaporator to cool said compartment and an adsorber, a burner to heat said compartment, a burner associated with said adsorber, a source of fuel for said burners, means dependent upon atmospheric temperature to connect said fuel source to one or the other of said burners, and means dependent upon the temperature in said compartment to control the flow of gas to said burner for said compartment.

3. In a combined refrigerating and heating constant temperature in a storage compartment, in combination, adsorption refrigeration apparatus including an evaporator to cool said compartment and an adsorber, a burner to heat said compartment, a burner associated with said adsorber, a source of fuel for said burners, means dependent upon atmospheric temperature to connect said fuel source to one or the other of said burners, and means dependent upon the temperature in said compartment to control the flow of gas to said burner associated with said adsorber.

4. In a combined refrigerating and heating system adapted to maintain a substantially constant temperature in a storage compartment, in combination, adsorption refrigeration apparatus including an evaporator to cool'said compartment and an adsorber, a burner to heat said compartment, a burner associated with said adsorber, a source of fuel for said burners, means dependent upon atmospheric temperature to connect said fuel source to one or the other of said burners, and a single means responsive to the temperature in said compartment to control the flow of fuel to the connected burner.

5. In a combined cooling and heating system adapted to maintain a substantially constant temperature in a storage compartment,

in combination, refrigeration apparatus including a cooling unit for said compartment and an adsorber, a heater for said compartment, a heater associated with sand adsorber,

a source of supply for said heaters, and means responsive to atmospheric temperature to connect said source, of supply for association with the required heater.

6. In a combined cooling and heating system adapted to maintain a substantially constant temperature in a storage compartment, in combination, refrigeration apparatus includinga cooling unit for said compartment and an adsorber, a heater for said compartment, aheater associated with said adsorber, a source of supply for said heaters, means responsive to atmos heric temperature to connect said source 0 supply for association with the required heater, and means responsive to the temperature within said compartment to control either heater.

7. In a combined cooling and heating system adapted to maintain a substantially constant temperature in a storage compartment, in combination, refrigeration apparatus including a cooling unit for said compartment and an adsorber, a burner to heat said compartment, a burner to heat said adsorber, a source of fuel supply, a two way valve connected to said source of fuel, each heater having a pipe connected to said valve whereby either heater may be associated with said fuel supply, a valve in each pipe to control the flow of fuel to its respective burner, and automatic means to operate said last mentioned valves.

8. In a combined cooling and heating system adapted to maintain a substantially constant temperature in a storage compartment, in combination, refrigeration apparatus including a cooling unit for said compartment and an adsorber, a burner to heat said compartment, a burner. to heat said adsorber, a

source of fuel supply, a two way valve con-.

nected to said source of fuel, each heater having a pipe connected to said valve whereby either heater may be associated with said fuel supply, a valve in each pipe to control the flow of fuel to its respective burner, means to actuate the valve in said adsorber burner pipe to determine the period of burning of said adsorber burner and temperature responsive means associated with said first mentioned means to determine the period between burnings of said adsorber burner.

9. In a combined cooling and heating system adapted to maintaina substantially constant temperature in a storage compartment, in combination, refrigeration apparatus including a cooling unit for said compartment and an adsorber, a burner to heat said compartment, a burner to heat said adsorber, a source of fuel supply, a two way valve connected to said source of fuel, each heater having a pipe connected to said valve whereby either heater may be associated with said fuel supply, a valve in each pipe to control the flow of fuel 'to its respective burner, automatic means including a temperature responsive device connected to the valve in said adsorber burner pipe to regulate the frequency of burning of said adsorber burner, said temperature responsive device being also connected to the valve in said compartment heater pipe to control the amount of heat supplied to said compartment.

10. In a system for maintaining a substantially constant temperature in a compartment, the combination with refrigerating apparatus for said compartment and heating apparatus for said compartment, of means dependent on temperature outside of said compartment to place the required apparatus in condition to operate, and means dependent on temperature within said compartment to regulate the operation of that required apparatus.

11. In a system for maintaining a substantially constant temperature in a compartment, the combination with refrigerating apparatus for said compartment and heating apparatus for said compartment, of means dependent on temperature outside of said compartment to place the required apparatus in condition to be operated in accordance with variation of temperature within its range in the compartment.

12. In a system for maintaining a substantially constant temperature in a compartment, the combination with refrigerating apparatus for said compartment and heating apparatus for said compartment, of'means dependent on temperature outside of said compartment to place the required apparatus in condition to operate, and a single means dependent on temperature within said compartment to regulate the operation of either apparatus.

13. In a system for maintaining a substantially constant temperature in a compartment, the combination with heating and re I frigeratmg apparatus for said compartment,

of means controlled by temperature outside of said compartment to place the apparatus in condition to be operated in accordance with the temperature requirements within said compartment.

14. In a system for maintaining a substantially constant temperature in a compart ment, in combination, refrigerating apparatus including a cooling unit for said compartment, independent heating apparatus including a heating unit for said compartment, and a heat responsive means for automatically rendering one or the other of said apparatus active to maintain a substantially constant temperature in said compartment.

15. In a system for maintaining a substantially constant temperature in a compartment, the combination of a refrigeration apparatus including a cooling means and a part requiring heat, a heating apparatus including heat distributing means and a part requiring heat and means dependent on atmosment, the combination of a refrigeration appheric temperature to associate a source of heat with the part requiring it.

16. In a system for maintaining a substantially constant temperature in a compart- *0 paratus including a cooling means and a part I requiring heat, a heating apparatus including heat distributing means and a part requiring heat, means dependent on atn oapheric temperature to associate a source of heat with the part requiring it and items Within the compartment to regulate the quantity of heat.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aft}: my

signature.

- GEORGE E. HULSE. 

